Automatic flying-machine.



A.- HARB.

AUTOMATIC FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0cT.1x, 1917.

1 ,275,25 1 Patiented Aug. 13, 1918.4

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

"III

A. HARB.

AUTOMATIC FLYING MACHINL APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1l, 1917. 1,275,251. I ParentedAug-.13,1918,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. HARB.

AUTOMATIC FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED ocT.1l.191.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918 AI HARB.V

AUTOMATIC FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. II, |911.

om z. (M. 04M 114 m07@ mm W duh mw Z m DnlM ALFRED Hagan, oF NEW YORK, N. Y.,As's1eN`on To LoUIsA Hm, er NEW Yoan, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC :FLYING-MACHINE.

To all t mag/concern:

Beit known that I, ALFRED HAnB, a subject ofthe Emperor of Austria, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of `New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Automatic'Flyl'n'g- Machines, of which the followingisa speciication.

This invention relates to motor driven heavier than air machines, and the main ob-` ject of the same is the provision of a machine of this character having main planes or wings fashioned in general like thewings of a bird, alid having combined with these planes, air pockets o r wings, which are held closed and rigid with the said main planes when'the'ma'chine is driven forward in any variety of normal positions, but which are' adapted to move relatively with respect thereto, and to Open out in response to air pressure, in the event the machine should fall because of accident'v or disability.

A further object of the invention is to provide a-liying machine of this character with a wheeled pilots seat,'which, weighted with the pilot, is adapted to Vbe moved aft tocause the machine to tilt rearwardly, bringingthe air pockets or wingsinto position to be acted on by ltheair pressure and to be opened under falling movement.

'A' still further .object of the invention is to combine the air pockets or wings ,with'the main planes and to connect them with each other', in such manner that the connecting means therefortrav'erses the path'of the wheeled pilots seat, sothat when, said seat is moved, it will automaticallycause the severance of the connecting means, freeing the air pockets for thesupport of thema,-v chlne against ra id and'perhaps disastrous falling toward t e earth.

in .wl'n

Figure 1 is' a top plan viewl of the flying $0 j With these and other objects' in view, the invention resides in the details ofconstruction and'in' the combination and" arrangement vof parts hereinafter described and shown in tl ing a material part of this specification, and c machine, parts being breken away.

Fig. 2 is a view inv front elevatim.l

e accompanying drawings, form- Y Specification of-'Letters Patent. `Patented 'Allg'. 13, 1918i.V Ap'pncatipn mea october 11,1917. serialno. 196,087.

elevation, parts v Fig. 7 isa sideelevational View of 'the pilots wheeled seat and the supporting ele` ments therefor, showing als the mechanism employed for advancing the seat on its track.'A

dricalp'ropeller dtache Fig.` 9 isa view in perspective of a'main 'plane with the air pockets orl wings' com bined therewith, vthe latter being shown their detached elevated position and/also being shown. .partially openedfor engagement y with the air.,

Fig. Sis a view in perspective of the cylin- Fig. 1 0 is avview in perspectiveof a "p or'-- tion of the-skeleton frame for the main. planes, showing Ain .particular how support--- ing elements for the air pockets or wings are 8 0 'F1g. 11 1s a cross sectlonal' v1ew, taken onf pivoted thereto. .f

theline 11-11. of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a similar view, taken on the linej 12-12 .of Fig.- 1. i

Fig. 13

line 13-713 of Fig. 1.

'i4- 14 of Figye. 1

companying drawings, the numeral '18 de notes parallel longitudinal chassls members,

lwhich. y"are bowed upwardly intemdiate'" is a similar-view, ltaken on the' 1 `F ig.'14 is aI simllar View, taken on the line.

their lengths, and which terminate inthe i rounded ends 19- and 20, of'which the front' Aend 19 is formed intermediate its. length with the bearing 21, through whichpasses- Athe propeller shaft 22, on the forward end of which ismounted i the cylindricalprof.

peller23.- Connecting the longitudinal chassis members 18 at the forward endare thespaoedapart cross members 24 (Figa 1), upon which 32 is provided with a shoulder 36, and also is lmounted the platform for the support of the motor 16, the steering device, as 27, and the wheeled Pilots seat 28 (Fig. 5)'. rl`he quarters for the'pilot are preferably completed by providing the cylindrical top or housing 29, which is designed to be rolled or folded up in any suitable manner to allow a wide vision of the'surroundings'.

` Rigidly securedto the Chamis elements 18 and projecting therefrom at each side, much like the wings of a bird projects from its.

yarms 34 and 35, it being noted in this connection, as shown in Figsf9 and 10, that at the 'point of pivoting- 33, the base arm that the adjacent ends of the supporting arms 34. and 35 are-likewise provided with shoulders as 37, which are adapted to butt against the said shoulder 36 whereby to limit the outward movement of the arms 34 and 3.5.- Mounted around thearms 34 and 35, on each side of the base arm 32, are airproof coverings or pocket-like wings. 38, the rear edges of which, when the said arms 34 and 35 are in alined position with the base arm 32, extend to and coincide with the edges 4ofthe covering on the main wing 3,0, as best shown in Fig. 1, the rear portion of the coverings 38 ,beyond thepoint of pivoting 33, being rigidly -,secured to the frameworkv 30 of the main wing along with its covering.

By arranging the coverings 38 in this manner, l provide foreach main plane two pocket-like Wings having Openings as 39 and 40; at their lower ends, the outer sides of which., engaged upon the spring-like bracing ribs as 41, vsecured to and projecting from' the arms 34 and 35, as best shown in Fig. 9, flare outwardly from the main plane. Provided in the marginal edges of the coverings around the openings 39 and 40, are a. plurality of spacedsapart eyelets# as 42. Similar eyelets are also provided-in the adjacent marginal edge of the covering on the main plane 3G. By passing a'rope .as 43, v,or other suitable'lacing means through the eyelets 42 in an obvious manner, I interlace or secure the pocket wingsffast to and coincident with the main plane 30, so that taken together all form one wing or plane,

there being,`of course, on the` opposite side of the chass1s, another composlte Wing or cuttin plane constructed in an identical manner.

'The ropes as 43, which are used to secure the wings oneach side of the chassis, are then drawn across the chassis elements 18 (Figl l) at the rear of the pilots seat 28,

and there united and held rigidly and tautly in elevated position for convenient severance, in the manner to be later described.

rlhe seat 29 for the pilot, as best shownin Figs. 5, 6 and 7, is fastened rigidly upon a supporting frame 44, which is provided with two pairs of legs 45 and 46. To thevlower ends of each pair of legs is secured the axles 47 and`48, upon the opposite ends of each of which are rotata-blymounted the wheels 49, which are rotatably engaged against displacement in the channels 50,- provided in the confronting sides ofthe4 track rails 51, mounted longitudinally of the chassis upon the cross pieces 24.

AProjecting outwardly from the front legs 45, at each side and rigid therewith, above the rails 51, are the studs 52 upon the outer ends of which are pivoted the dogs 53 adapted to engage the teeth 54 provided in the adjacent outer faces of the rails 51. Links 55 pivotally connect the opposite ends ofthe dogs 53 with the short arms of the bell crank operating levers 56, pivoted at 57 to the exterior sides` of the seat as shown. Combined with the operating levers56 are vthe usual locking levers 58, operable in the notched racks; 59 secured to the 'exterior .sides of the seat'. Under this construction, the wheeled seat 28, upon the release of the dogs 53 by the proper operation of the levers y the stopping of the motor or of an accident befalling the machine, to transfer his Weight in addition to the weight of the wheeled seat to the rear portion Aof the machine, thereby causing'the same to tilt rearwardly bringing the pocket Wings 38 into position to be opened by the air pressure. In order automatically to loosen the pocket wings as the pilots seat is moved rearwardly, I provide the seat on each side of the buffer element 61 with knives as 62 formed with V-shaped edges, which knives are so located that t ey will engage and sever the united ropes 43, when the seat is moved rearwardly The ropes 43 thus being severed, releasing the connections at therear ends between the `pocket wings and the main planes, these pocket wings are free te open or spread transment is to enable the pilot, in the event of lLawa-aai `planes 30the pocket wings 38, so that the latter will beopened and extended in response to the airlpressure, thereby providing air pockets adapted effectively to increase resistance to thefalling movement of the machine, it being notedalso in this connection that if themotor is still operating, the peculiar cylindrical' form of the propeller blades 23 will also serve as an additional force to prevent the rapid falling of the machine.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, I prefer to provide outwardly projecting horizontal planes as 63 along the chassis elements 18. These planes 63 increase in width toward the rear of the machine, ending in a straight edge 64. In addition to serving assupporting and stabilizing planes in the usual way, these planes have another function in that whenthe machine is falling, they tend to deflect the movement of the air into the pocket wings, thereby increasing resistance to the falling movement of the machine, and at the same time these planes, in cutting through the air, have a tendency to cause the falling machine to descend by zig-zag Steps instead of in a perpendicular course.

In the present embodiment of my invention, the rudder devices include the hori- Zontal plane 65, which is hinged at 66 to the supports as 67 rigidly projecting from the rounded rear end 20 of the chassis. This rudder is operated by wires as 68 which are secured to it as at 69, and which `extend by the usual system of pulleysfwithinl reach of the pilot-from his seat 29. Hinged at 70 upon the support 67 is a vertical rudder 71, the movement of which steers the machine to the right or left. To this rudder is attached at 7 2 the wires 73, which also extend by the usual system of pulleys to the operating levers near the pilots seat. f

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is y a 1. In a fiying machine, the combination of a rectangular frame, fixed wing-like planes projecting therefrom at each side near the forward end, sustaining and stabilizing planes located aft of said fixed winglike planes, ar housing located upon the frame between said fixed wing-like planes, driving and steering mechanism located in said housing, a trackway beginning adjacent said steering mechanism and extending aft upon the frame, a pilots chair operatively secured upon the trackway and adapted to travel aft thereupon whereby under the weight of the chair and its` occupant to tilt the machine rearwardly, pocket wings adjustably combined with the wing-like planes,l

means for partially disconnecting the pocket wings from the wing-like planes so that the former may be extended and opened in of a rectangular frame, fixed wing-like i planes projecting therefrom at each side near the forward end, sustaining and stabilizing planes'projecting from the frame longitudinally thereof, a steering device mounted upon the frame between the winglike planes, a track extending aft upon the frame from the steering device, a wheeled pilots chair operatively mounted upon ythe track and nrmally locked therewith ad'- jacent the steering device,l means combined with the chair and controlled by the pilot to permit the chair to travel aft upon the track, pocket wings combined with the winglike planes and lmovable relatively with respect thereto, means for detachably connecting the pocket wings in closed position with the wing-like planes along their rear marginal edges, and means controlled by the movement aft of the chair upon its track to inaugurate the detachment of said connecting means, permittingthe pocket wings to open in response to air pressure under falling movement.

3. In a flying machine, a rectangular frame structure bowed longitudinally, main wings tapered and bowed longitudinally projecting rigidly therefrom, pocket-wings co-extensive with the main wings operatively connected thereto to coperate with the same in flying, said pocket wings opening toward the rear of the machine and being capable, when partly disconnected, of movement relatively with respect to the main wings and being adapted tc open in planes traversing those of said main wings, a trackway arranged upon the frame longitudinally thereof, a wheeled pilots chair engaged with said trackway, said chair being normally locked upon said trackway between the main wings, means operable by the occupant of the chair to permit the same to travel aft upon the trackway whereby to tilt the machine) rearwardly, means automatically operable by the rearward movement of said chair to partly disconnect the pocket-wings from vthe main wings permitting thev open ends of the air pockets in response to the air pressure ofthe same under falling movement to open and resist the falling movement of the machine and longitudinal planes carried by the frame aft of, the main planes whereby to deflect the stratum-of air toward theair pockets.

4. The combination with a flying machine including a bowed rectangular frame and elongated bowedwing-like planes projecting therefrom forward of its longitudinal center, of pocket wings co-extensive with said planes and combined therewith for cooperation in flying, said pocket wings being capable when partly detached of `relative movement with respect to the planes and being adapted to open out in response to air `pressure on the same under falling movement, and a chair carriage under the control of the pilot movable longitudinally of the frame and aft of said planes whereby to tilt the machine rearwardly bringing the said planes into vertical or oblique position 10 with the openings of the pocket Wings facing downwardly. l

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALFRED HABE., 

